specific epithet also spelled "teterrella" by some sources, and misspelled "teterella" at some Internet sites

Size

wingspan about 21 mm, based on photo by Jim Vargo at MPG

mature larva length 15-20 mm

Identification

Adult: mouthparts project foreward from head to form a snout; forewing variably pale brown to medium brownish-gray with jagged PM line, often having two large "teeth"; two dark gray or blackish streaks or blotches in medial area usually extend into the "teeth" of the PM line; ST line smooth and mostly straight, running parallel to outer margin for about two-thirds its length, then angling basally before reaching costa; terminal line dark, thin, edged proximally by several black dots; fringe pale brown; hindwing brownish-gray, more than twice as broad as forewing, with pale fringe

Larva: head dark gray; body greenish-gray with series of spots forming ring around each abdominal segment

Range

Ontario and New England to Florida, west to California, north to Nebraska

Habitat

lawns, golf courses, grassy areas in general; adults may be flushed from grass during the day but are crepuscular/nocturnal and attracted to light

Season

adults fly from May to October (two broods)

larvae present from spring through fall (they overwinter)

Food

larvae feed on bluegrass, tall fescue, and sometimes bermudagrass

Life Cycle

two generations per year; overwinters as a mature larva within silk-lined tunnel in soil or thatch; in late spring and again in mid-summer, females drop eggs randomly while flying low over grass; generation time is 4-10 weeks, depending on temperature

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